Is 42:1-4, 6-7 (or: 55:1-11)/Ps 29 (or: Is 12)/Acts 10:34-38 (or: 1 Jn 5:1-9)
Gospel: Mk 1:7-10
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This day is the official end of the Christmas season. We now transition to Ordinary Time where we will hear about the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. A misconception of many is that the Christmas season ends in the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. What many are unaware of is that the season of Christmas does not end with the Epiphany. Rather, according to the calendar of the Church, we end the Christmas season on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Why?
Last Sunday, we celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord. We commemorate how God manifested Himself as a baby. The Lord, from being mighty and great, became lowly and humble, even small as a baby. In today's celebration, we commemorate another manifestation of the Lord through His baptism. The Lord manifests Himself as an obedient and humble servant of the Father.
Jesus did not have to line up with everyone to be baptized by John the Baptist. Besides, Jesus had no sins at all. He is the one John the Baptist has been talking about. But, Jesus humbled Himself. We see the humility of Jesus. By being one with the sinners who line up at the Jordan River in order to be baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus shows His mercy and compassion towards every humankind.
As Jesus rises from the waters of the Jordan River, we would see that the Father speaks from Heaven. The Father and the Holy Spirit introduces the Son. The Messiah has been manifested once again in the Jordan River. Because of Christ displaying His humility by lining up at the Jordan River to be baptized, the other two members of the Trinity - the Father and the Holy Spirit - exalt Him as He ascends in the waters of the Jordan River.
The Baptism of Jesus also symbolizes the start of Jesus' mission. From staying with the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph in Nazareth (tradition has it that Joseph died before Jesus started His earthly ministry), Jesus moves out of His home and comfort zone and begins the mission and ministry the Father gave Him. Christ could have rejected the will of God the Father, but He chose to obey the will of the Father.
Like Jesus, let us be obedient to the will of the Father. God has chosen us to become missionaries in this world. We are sent by the Lord to preach His word to each and everyone of us through our words and actions. God is calling each and everyone of us to serve Him by spreading His word to the world. We are called to be witnesses. We have a mission from God. It is up to us how we will respond to it.
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